Caralee Johnson Adams has worked as a journalist for nearly 25 years, covering education, health, parenting, and other issues. She received her journalism degree from Iowa State University and her master’s degree in political science from the University of New Orleans.

Student Income Influences Choice of College Major

If money is tight, students are more likely to choose useful majors, such as computer science, while those from wealthier families often are drawn to history and the arts.

That's the conclusion of researchers who reviewed data from the National Center for Education Statistics for a recent Atlantic article, "Rich Kids Study English."

The amount of money a college student's parents make correlates with what that person studies because sometimes high-income students don't feel the same financial pressure to choose a practical field of study, the article says. Upon graduation, more affluent students may have more of a safety net if they cannot get a job or are underemployed, according to Kim Weeden, a sociologist at Cornell University who conducted the study.

As students from disadvantaged backgrounds choose a college, they are also more likely to look for one with a wide variety of majors, the article notes.

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